Grease gun



Sept l, 1953 o. A. DIRKsl-:N i 2,650,744

GREASE GUN Filed Feb. 15, 1949 I N VEN TOR. Oie H. ir'sezz BY- v Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES' OFFICE GREASE .GUN Q lo A Dirlisem Speoenzlowe Applioetionirfebruary 15, 19119, ,Serlalhon'litfill The invention relates to grease guile @dented The primary object of the invention is to provide aerease gun wherein the inlet orintake port:

or hole of which een he opened for filling with grease simply by opening wide the handle'which moves the piston back past the lling port or hole allowing grease to Yenter .and wherein v the handle.

lafter the gun is .lled, Closed to normal or OP- erating pos1tion, 4moving the piston forward. to

.ereee the maremeuer rer-t or nele.

It is also obieot of the invention to provide .a ereese euh wherein the filling operation .of

a Character to allow -no `olirt or eh `to enter the een, insuring clean grease and positive action while the eun is .either beinenlled or used,-

Furthermore. it is an object of the invention to provide a grease gun which can be operated by one 'henri thus enabling the operator to hold structed small and compact so that grease ttings on machines of all kind can be reached Without difliculty.

A `further objectof the invention is to provide a grease gun of the Character indicated above equipped with a grease container and a grease expeller cylinder, in the latter Vof which a vacuum will be created, when the grease expelling piston is retracted, so that a plunger arranged in the grease container will be actuated to `force grease from the container into the cylinder before the piston.

The invention consists inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved grease guns whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating a grease gun combination in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in top plan as indicated by the arrows of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

1 Gleim.- where-383) .Fienre 3 is arreernentery sectional view taken the 1in` Soi Figure 1;-

V Figure l 1S a sectional view `on the line 4:4 of ,Fig-ure ,1

The grease euh as embodied herein comprises a tubular grease .container I 0, .one end of Which, hereinafter named the bottom end, is closed by means of a screw cap I I. A helical spring I2 is lOQated in the grease ,container I and rests with one of its ends `on the screw cap II. A plunger I3 ts slidably in the .container I U, and the helioel Spring I2 .engages Said plunger and urges it upwardly in the container.

A v second screw cap I4 yis arranged .on the top end portion ofthe grease ,container I0 and is provided with a Itap 1; ed porthole I5. An outwardly threaded nipple .I5 is'threaded `into said porthole .l5 and projects upwardly through the vscrew can I4. A grease expeller cylinder rC is provided intermediate its `ends with a tapped hole .I'I in its circumferential wall and is mounted on top of the grease Container I0 bv screwing the end portion o f the nipple I6 Vprojecting V over the Serew Cap I4 into the tapped hole I l- Qne end o-.f the vexeeller cylinder C. hereinafter named thefront end. is provided With en inside thread I8 adapted t0 reei/e the outwardly threaded v rear end portion |19 of a valve body 20 preferably Shaped like a nozzle. The rearward end portion 2l o f the bore 2 2 .of the valve body is :reduced :in diameter so that .arlinwardly proieeting valve sent `23 is formed- The front end portion of the valve body bore 22 is provided `with an inside :thread 24 into which the threaded rear Yend portion :2.5 of an .eXpeller tube 2,6 is Screwed- A valve `bell -21 fitting loosely inthe bore .22 of the valve ibody is urged against the valve seat 23 by a :helical spring 2- 8 engaging the valve ball with one of -its .ends and vabutting with its other .end 4into 'the rear .edge of `the expeller tube 26. A nozzle 29 is removably lmounted on the front end portion of said expeller tube.

A piston 30 is slidably arranged in the expeller cylinder C and a pivot pin 3| extends diametrically through said piston and is located adjacent to the rear end thereof.

An actuating handle 32 has a bifurcated rear end portion and is pivotally mounted underneath the expeller cylinder C in front of the grease container I0, as at 33, so that the bifurcations 34 of the handle 32 straddl-e the cylinder C, and the rear end portions of said bifurcations project above said cylinder. A pivot pin 35 is supported by the bifurcations 39 adjacent to the rear ends thereof and extends above the cylinder C and toward both sides beyond the bifurcations.

A pair of connecting levers 36 are mounted pivotally on the pivot pin 3I in the piston 30 and on the pivot pin 35 in the handle bifurcations 34 so that the piston 30 is reciprocated in the cylinder C when the handle 32 is pivoted about the pivot pin 3I. A helical spring 31 is secured by one of its ends to the side ofthe handle 32 facing the grease container Ill, so that the hand of a person operating the grease gun is protected against coming into accidental forceful contact with the container.

The rear end portion of the expeller cylinder C is provided with an outside thread 38 and a screw cap 39 threadedly engages saidy thread. It is also provided with a centrally located axially extending opening 40 permitting reciprocating.

for the purpose of being filled.

The above described grease gun is operated as follows:

In order to fill the gun with grease the actuating handle 32 is pivoted away from the grease container I0, whereby the piston 30 is moved rearwardly in the grease expeller cylinder C so that the bore of the intake nipple 42 and the bore of the nipple I6 are uncovered. The screw cap 45 is removed from the intake nipple 42 and Ythis nipple is connected with the filler fitting of a grease pump (not shown) from which grease is forced into the grease gun in any suitable conventional manner. The grease lls the expeller cylinder behind the valve ball 21, which is pressed against the valve seat 23 by the helical spring 28, and lls the container I above the plunger I3. The force urging the grease into the container urges the plunger I3 down in the container I0 compressing the helical spring I2. When the vgun is fully loadedV it is removed from the pump and the screw cap 45 is replaced on the intake nipple 42.

The nozzle 20 on the grease expeller tube 26 is placed in working position in relation to the grease fitting (not shown) to the filled and the actuating handle 32 is pivoted toward the grease container I Il, whereby the piston 30 is moved forwardly in the cylinder C. During its forward movement the piston 30 covers and closes the bores of the intake nipple 42 and the nipple I6 and forces the grease in the cylinder against the valve ball 21, so that the same is removed from the valve seat 23. The grease enters the expeller tube 26 and is forced through the same and the nozzle 29 into the not shown grease fitting. The handle 22 is pivoted away from the container I0 pulling the piston 30 rearwardly in the cylinder C. Thereby the pressure against the valve ball 21 is removed so that the spring 28 will urge said ball into valve closing position. The rearward movement of the piston 30 creates a partial vacuum in the cylinder C and uncovers the bore of the nipple I6. The partial vacuum causes a suction above the container I0 so that the plunger I3 is moved upwardly in said container forcing grease into the cylinder C. The upward movement of the plunger I3 under the influence of the vacuum action is facilitated by the pressure of the spring I2. The plunger I3 is preferably formed like a disk provided with a circumferential flange 45.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that grease guns constructed in accordance with my invention are particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience `and facility with which they may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

In a grease gun, a tubular container having removable end caps, a cylinder mounted crosswise of one of said caps, said cylinder and the said one cap having registering openings to establish communication between the cylinder and said container, a piston slidable inwardly of one end of said cylinder, a valved outlet at the opposite end of said cylinder. a hand lever having a bifurcated end portion straddled over the said opposite end of said cylinder, a pivot element for said lever passing through the lower side of said cylinder and the lever adjacent to the inner end of the furcation, a pivot element passing through the outer end of the furcation, links extending from opposite ends of the latter pivot element beyond the said one end of said cylinder, angular portions bent inwardly from the free ends of said links, and a pivot element carried by the outer end of said piston and connecting the angular portions of said links.

OLE A. DIRKSEN.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,721,817 Goodman July 23, 1929 1,943,605 Hartman Jan. 16, 1934 2,425,867 Davis Aug. 19, 1947 2,459,296 Smith Jan. 18, 1849 2,477,726 Davis Aug. 2, 1949 2,504,683 Harnley Apr. 18, 1950 2,510,972 Gray June 13, 1950 

